Those are the only 2 shots i had that were seconds apart, where they were in the same position...and where you could see where the 2nd shooter was standing in the frame...that's the only reason i picked those 2 shots....but the photos are just examples of knowing how to balance flash/ambient, and how the light fall-off is terrible, almost like direct flash, with a fong dong and the wrong settings.....

NathanHamler wrote:
Those are the only 2 shots i had that were seconds apart, where they were in the same position...and where you could see where the 2nd shooter was standing in the frame...that's the only reason i picked those 2 shots....but the photos are just examples of knowing how to balance flash/ambient, and how the light fall-off is terrible, almost like direct flash, with a fong dong and the wrong settings.....

Agreed, however, I think this is also about choice. There are times when balancing the ambient and flash will really kill the atmosphere, and having an image (in some way) closer to your second's image (meaning letting in less ambient) would be more effective. That is of course a personal choice / taste as much as anything.

As far as technique, I'd avoid aperture priority completely. I think I'd only go there if I suddenly round myself in a new lighting and had to capture something very quickly. But that would be very, very rare. If I'm indoors and need flash you can be pretty certain I've been there a while and will have scouted out lighting already.

Oh i'm sure they'll like it, which is fine...it's just not my style to shoot up in the face....i shoot wide to capture the whole scene....after all, they're trying to remember the day, and especially when it comes to the reception, they want to remember the guests that were there, the fun times that were had, etc....there's a ton of other shots where they are pristine and "shadow less"....lol....that being said, i'm glad you prefer mine haha

I take that back, yes, there is atmosphere, but the background in his is darker than it actually was...it def wasnt candlelight dark in there...BUT, the problem with that technique is if the background distance is more than a couple feet, it just goes totally black, and you lose the venue....it may as well be a ballroom...

I take that back, yes, there is atmosphere, but the background in his is darker than it actually was...it def wasnt candlelight dark in there...BUT, the problem with that technique is if the background distance is more than a couple feet, it just goes totally black, and you lose the venue....it may as well be a ballroom...

I think Kurtis is talking about preserving the natural atmosphere, and not blowing it away with a few point light sources leaving artificial shadows. (not saying you did not do a good job, just talking philosophically)

I think may people here would have just shot f1.4-2.0 at iso 3200 and just used a touch of bounce flash to fill. The room does not seem too dark on its own.

This is a battle I fight with myself very often, which way to go and how to go about it...sometimes flash wins and I end up with rooms that have lots of light, and sometimes ambient effect wins...although ambient light is often not attractive.

Your shot has a handful of really distracting specular highlights that really hurt your image. Your composition is also fairly weak, with the subjects really being oddly sandwiched between the ladys arm, the post, and the really large door.

This isn't to say your lighting technique isn't better, but this example might not be the one you want to use to show off the difference.

Nothing wrong with Aperture Priority; it does a pretty good job of balancing ambient with flash if you give it a chance

One issue is your 2nd's choice of aperture. Your shot is at f/2.8 and his is at f/5, other settings are similar - of course your shot is going to include more ambient light than his does.
- maybe he chose f/5 for DOF, but if he'd opened up the aperture a bit there would be more ambient light in the shot.

The other problem is the Fong Dong, which scatters light in all directions including towards the couple. This is an easy 'set and forget' way of shooting, but you don't have any control over the direction of your lighting - often the whole point of using bounce flash is to avoid the 'direct flash' look, and a Fong Dong is always going to light your subject with plenty of direct flash.

That said, your 2nd has captured a different perspective for you - no point in having 2 identical wide shots of the same scene.

I think the assistant photo is fine. I think you should have gelled your own flash and reworked the white balance so the room didn't look so orange. And I agree that the composition in the first one is awkward. The other problem with all that ambient light is you have all kinds of details (wood paneling, light fixtures, and doors, and etc...), which add nothing and are just distracting and make the photo look very busy.
Cheers.